The government has announced an increase in electricity prices for some subscribers from July 1.
With our correspondent in Abidjan, Marine Jeannin
The increase will concern 412,000 subscribers, according to estimates by the Ministry of Energy, or 11% of subscribers in Côte d’Ivoire. Professionals, and individuals whose subscription reaches or exceeds 15 amps, will see their tariff increase by 10%, and those who use medium voltage and high voltage, by 15%.
One of the reasons put forward by the government is the financial imbalance in the electricity sector, aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. The tariff adjustment should enable Côte d’Ivoire to reduce the sector’s operating loss by 76 billion CFA francs, or 115 million euros.
Because the Ivorian State aims to achieve a 100% electrification rate by 2025, according to the World Bank. And thus put an end to inequalities between urban areas, where the electrification rate is 90%, and rural areas where it barely exceeds 30%. For this, it will be necessary to increase the production capacity of the country, which is currently 2,230 MW to reach 5,000 MW, more than double, in 2030.